Is Kevlar29/Epoxy Composite an Alternate for Drive Shaft?

Advances in engineering and technology replace old materials with new materials having superior advantages in specialized, personalized as well as general applications. The new materials are more reliable than conventional ones and are designed to be stronger and durable. The recent researches in design engineering are focused on to provide composite materials as a substitute for conventional materials in many applications due to their unique properties. This research is focused on investigating the suitability of an alternate composite material for SM45 steel shaft for automobile applications. SM45 steel, carbon epoxy, E glass epoxy and Kevlar29 epoxy composites were considered for investigation of sample shaft fabrication and extraction properties. The actual shaft was modelled by using Pro-E wildfire 5 software. Then it was imported in ANSYS workbench 14.5 giving the actual boundary conditions for the drive shaft for SM45C material. Under the same boundary conditions carbon epoxy, E glass epoxy and Kevlar29 epoxy composites were analyzed. Total deformation, equivalent stress, equivalent elastic strain and buckling deformation analysis were concentrated. The Kevlar29 epoxy composite outperforms others in terms of weight saving, buckling capability, induced shear stress and torque transmission capability.